Athens’ drive to build the Achilles Shield falls in line with NATO’s efforts to increase defense spending.
When it comes to missile and air defense, Israel’s Iron Dome is undoubtedly the most recognizable and successful system around. With a success rate of over 90 percent, the Iron Dome, along with the Israel Defense Force’s other tiered defense apparatuses, effectively thwarts missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), rockets, and other projectiles from falling on Israeli territory.
The success of the Iron Dome has influenced other nations seeking to beef up air defense capabilities. Earlier this month, Greece took a massive step forward in expanding its own defenses. Athen’s “Achilles Shield” air defense initiative is reportedly under development. Greece’s minister of national defense, Nikos Dendias, described the Hellenic version of the Iron Dome as possessing “anti-missile, anti-aircraft, anti-drone, anti-ship and anti-submarine” capabilities, adding that “Its creation will allow the fleet of new frigates and 4th, 5th and 5th generation aircraft to be released from the role of territorial defense they currently have, enabling them to take on a broader deterrent role, with strategic weapons that are included for the first time in our defense balance.”
Greece’s Plans for Its Achilles Shield
Escalating tensions between Greece and Turkey arguably remain the greatest threat to NATO’s objectives. While the two nations once shared cordial relations in the World War II era, the relationship between Ankara and Athens is certainly now sour. The 1974 Cypriot coup d’etat and the subsequent Turkish invasion of Cyprus ignited the mutual contempt that exists today. Currently, the two countries continue to disagree over maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea and territorial claims in the Aegean Sea. Essentially, Athens argues that it is entitled to extend its territorial waters, a claim that Ankara vehemently refutes. Since both Turkey and Greece are NATO members, the increased hostility between the nations does not bode well for the international alliance’s agenda.
Athens’ desire to beef up its air and missile defense capabilities is certainly influenced by its conflict with Ankara. While the details surrounding the Achilles Dome initiative remain unclear, this modernization push is expected to cost over $25 billion over the next decade or so. Athens could settle on acquiring the Israeli Iron Dome system or wait to see what the twenty-three-nation, German-led Sky Shield initiative yields down the line. Dendias stressed the importance of air defense, citing that “In the global geopolitical landscape, which is being rearranged and characterized by instability, we have a duty not to allow Greece to become a prey to developments. We must strengthen its defense footprint and its role as a pillar of stability and security provider in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeastern Europe.”
The Trump administration has previously called on NATO allies to elevate their respective defense spending to 5 percent of GDP in order to meet a more tumultuous threat climate. Athens’ drive to allocate exorbitant funds to its Achilles Shield initiative certainly falls in line with this objective.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
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